@@Israeli_Prince nah man they know what japan is. Some of the biggest shows WC and a few of them dudes did was in Japan. Same for many motorcycle gangs. Money coming from Japan since the 90s.
My grandfather was the pastor of a church in Okinawa and once, he was approached by a few members of a Yakuza group who wanted to use the church’s parking lot during what I think was some sort of festival parade (I don’t remember exactly, he’s been dead a few years). He agreed, and maybe a day or two after the parade, they came back and cleaned the parking lot. I always thought that was kind of a cool story.
Many people do not understand the role organize crime plays within a macro system. The best example I can give is from my country in Canada. It used to be Italian mob strike deals with bikers, bikers keep trashy punk gangs in order. They arrested a lot of bikers in the last 2 decades. The results has been street gang has been rising because there's no one to control them. It's like nature, kill the predator, the prey will overpopulate and be a huge nuisance.
@@alihorda The problem is, the state, through its agents, needs to do things within the limits of the law, which is extremely inneficient (not to mention the limited numbers of law agents that can't be everywhere). Crime groups have way less limitations. They are not shy about roughing up small fish punks and rule them through terror, that's why they are more efficient in keeping order. Just to be clear, I'm not advocating that the state police should act like them.
@Mr.Beant Gangs merely make purposeless people gravitate towards them. If you wipe out a gang and there are still potential gangsters in the area, they will soon gang up together and make a new one. Gangs are a source of crime, but they also are the consequence of something else. If one removes the gangs but that cause remains, new gangs will appear.
The purpose of organized crime is to make money. It's a business, and it's a business that is willing to use violence. They don't exist to eliminate punks. They will exploit anyone they can to make money, innocent or not. I don't know if I can speak about Japan, but as an American who lives in a mafia influenced area I figured I could say something on this. I believe organized crime is the same all over the world though. The history of organized crime in North America isn't the different than the history of the Yakuza. The US government used to openly work together with the Italian mafia to attack American political enemies.
I feel as though, once the Yakuza are 'eliminated' smaller more violent gangs will begin to take over portions of neighborhoods in Japan. In the Western Countries like the United States, the Mafia took care of the gangs, and as the Mafia slowly died off, or evolved into 'legal' businesses, the violent street gangs took over. I don't believe the Yakuza are actually 'disappearing' instead they've most likely found a way to make their business legal, and only resort to violence when it's needed. Good examples of this would be loan sharks, insurance agencies, and Casinos. All legal, and have the opportunity to make extreme cash income, as well as a cover for illegal activities they can plausibly deny. Organizations like this only 'go away' in two ways, either they're killed off, or they go 100% legal.
I wouldn't romanticize the Mafia. They murdered plenty, shook companies down, and committed political crimes to their benefit. Kneecapped plenty of business owners who wouldn't pay them Mafia to "protect" themselves from... the Mafia. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre should say a lot about them.
"We must realize that mafia is a terribly serious phoenomenon, and that it must be fought not by claiming the heroism of defenseless citizens, but by involving the best forces of the institutions in the struggle" -Giovanni Falcone, an italian judge killed by the mafia
@not tegaroh01 yet before he was killed he put in jail nearly all of the most important mafia chiefs in a great trial called "maxi-processo" and few monts after his death his murderers were imprisoned too
Understand that Falcone only said this after the Mafia in Sicily had an internal war where the money makers were killed and a bunch of poor greedy assholes took over.
Interesting. Seems like there was too much leniency with the mafia and they got too powerful. So you want to have them around, but only if the right people are in charge and only if they aren't too big powerful. Seems complicated.
@@mcfry13 It happens all the time where goverment officials cooperate with the mafia for the vvery fact that they are cooperativve,they make money,and they put other thugs in check and very usefull tools for making certain people dissapear ... while it seems evil,for some areas its necessary evil,cauuse if not for them,a worse evil would appear thats why certain cities make sure to keep certain boss heads happy and alive just for the fact that if someone else where to take their place,the entire city could burn
Their decline and fading into obscurity may more likely be a facade to cover their evolution as a crime syndicate into more modern and "acceptable" forms. In my opinion these organizations don't die, they adapt.
Yeah, like many Mafia family in the US start to come out clean in the 80s-90s and control the Gambling industry in Vegas, some of them even still control some part of Hollywood industry. With their wealth power from their old dirty day, they can easily put that money into clean money by invest into some industry and then come out a legit job. I remember some book of old mafiaso said that they don't want to do the old way anymore since the Government and police forces is too strong now to do the old way with all the smuggling drugs and weapons, so they used their money that they made in the old day to invest into lucrative fields like casino and come out clean. The casino is like the heaven for them, they are cunning and brutal so they know how to deal with shitter and deceptive enough make the house always win.
This is very true. Another channel made by a guy named Yuki showcases how prevalent the yakuza are in some areas and if not yakuza, other gangs like hangure…a younger gang if you will but also very dangerous like yakuza except hangure will prey on just anybody which to some makes them worse.
I'm not suggesting that I know much about Japanese society, but for what I know about crime around many western countries (law student here), trying to erradicate it is impossible. You can clean up the streets and make them safe for the common people, but criminal activity will still happen behind the scenes in different forms. Dishonest people will always adapt and find a way. Sometimes when talking about policy you just gotta choose the lesser of two evils because striving for a perfect outcome might just make the situation even worse.
True, there will always be people who donn't care about the law. One theory I have to keep it at a minimum is to make sure people don't have a reason to resolve to crime, like for example keeping poverty at a minimum, but some people are just assholes.
@@Iyashikei-t4u I agree; if everyone had food to eat when they were hungry, clothes to keep them warm and a roof over their head to sleep, 'petty' crime would disappear overnight.
@@bhijdasasdjhasdbjkdasbjkfasbjk Although a portion of street crime does stem from poverty (stealing to feed your family for example) saying that ending poverty will stop street crime is a big oversimplification. A lot of people don't engage in activities like pimping and drug dealing because they didn't have the opportunity to lead an honest life. Shogo gave the example himself in the video, those were university students running that prostitution ring, privileged individuals. They do it because of greed and a lack of morals. Some people just don't care about the law. There is no magical solution for this type of issue.
The solution is to remove any reason any random person may have to engage in criminal activity, not to punish those who were forced into criminal activity. Easier said than done, however.
the best way to combat long term is to lessen the need for it. There will always be people who WANT to be criminals, its sexy, its "relatively" easy and to some people it i fun. but most people get started down a criminal path our of need due to poverty or lack of financial options. Strong social policies that improve the lives of citizens go a long way to lessen crime.
Clamping down on The Yakuza only after they are no longer economically useful, really demonstrates the dubious motivations of many so called "Get tough on crime" campaigns by governments. These campaigns are often more about saving face for the government. Rather than addressing the real causes of crime.
Had a friend whos dad was Yakuza. I asked how gangster he was and he laughed and said the most gangster thing their dad did was organize a neighborhood candy drive they did several times a year. He explained that the Yakuza was more social club then anything else and did more for their neighborhood keeping the really bad out and help where they could. It reminded me of how people talk about Free Masons, but the masons I know spend most their time setting up BBQs and Pancake fundraisers. The Reputation more so precedes groups then what the actual groups do.
@Borsalino Kizaru that's not true at all my best friend was a 33rd degree Mason and showed me all the cool stuff. Obviously not the super secrets but enough
i feel like this is strong revisionism to soften their image in the face of such dug in legally forceful opposition. he's leaving a lot out. and a lot of pinky bits.
This is something I find so intriguing about the Yakuza specifically. Everyone acknowledges that it was organized crime, and that on the surface they were up to no good. But many who have actually studied about the Yakuza and their effects on Japanese Society also seem to lament the fact that Yakuza as they were in those days are now gone. Without the strict codes of the Yakuza to guide the now disorganized groups and the extremely heavy-handed approach the Japanese Government and others took to be rid of them, It has only lead to even worse groups coming in to replace them. And unlike the Yakuza, These new criminals operate similarly to, for example, the Bloods and the Crips in the US, Where the lack of a hard code means anything and everything is fair game. [Side note here for anyone reading, Are the Bloods and Crips still actually like... around? Or have they broken up and turned into vaguely recognizable but much smaller gangs?] Now clearly most people don't say "Japan needs the Yakuza's back" (Unless they understand nothing about current Japanese society), But I have heard a number of them calling for a relaxation of the Anti-Gangster Laws and a greater emphasis on societal reformation to allow former Yakuza to actually reform and prevent Ex-Yakuza from following the worse path they are now locked to.
As a person living in the US, the bloods and crips are still around and also smaller gangs have come up as well but many don’t have a “code” to go by. Even the bloods and crips don’t have a code either to go by anymore.
???? Are the bloods and Crips still around?? Y’all think that’s all we have in the USA?? Yea never heard of surenos and la Eme? Aka the Mexican mafia? They’re what keeps the Surenos nationwide in check. They also stopped the sureno gangs in Southern California to stop doing drive by’s. The sureno gangs pay a tax to la Eme too
Bloods and Crips are still around but they've become blurred as to what it means to be part of those organizations. For example, one set of Bloods may ally with another set of Crips against another set of Bloods. That's something that wouldn't happened 30 years ago when Bloods and Crips shot each other on sight. Gangs also don't rep colors anymore like they used to because it made them easily identifiable to law enforcement. The two gangs are still here, it's just not as obvious who is who as it was in the 1990s.
Ya know I was just thinking how these gangstas nowadays aren't gangster because they don't live and die by a code. Honestly that might be more of society at large than outlaws or career criminals.
The fact that the laws make it near impossible for ex-memeber to have a normal life is a serious issue. There are many people who join gangs when they are young and stupid, but could be reintroduced into society. Its one thing to be hard on crime, but these anti-gangster laws seem to target the Yakuza culture specifically and doesn't do anything to stop actual crime.
Yes, there has to be a path of rehabilitation for former gangsters. If one can't open a bank account or get housing-it makes it tough to "go straight".
Most places don't want reform, they want repeat offenders so they can use them for cheap labour. That's how the prison system in the USA goes anyways. It's basically legal slavery, it's in their constitution lol. The general public already look down on criminals, so it's pretty easy for government or a private institution to take advantage of them. That's the consequence of everything going in the direction of making a profit first and foremost.
All it does is force them back into crime 'cause they have no alternatives. Some former Yakuza have been forced into drug dealing because there's no other way for them to make ends meet.
the interesting thing is this has happened before in america, specifically chicago and the mob. after the mob fell out of power due to politicians, violent crime rose dramatically as smaller street thugs ran rampant, and has remained so since.
I never get tired of this channel. It's nice learning about Japan like this. The mafia in Brazil is very different from this one. It's peculiar, really, how our cultures can be distant, but we have very similar problems.
In Brazil, mafia isn't exactly like Italy (however, Cosa Nostra have operations in Brazil. Yakuza, triads and bratva also have operations here). Most Brazilian criminal groups operates like Mexican cartels (at least in southern states).
We might be thousands of kilometers away, and have very different history But in the end, we're all still human and very similar. You can also see that all our martial arts are similar, as are our songs and food 😃
I noticed in the last couple of videos that I've checked out that there is a message at the top of the screen on how to adjust the speed. Did someone actually complain about your videos? I know that you speak a little slower than you probably do in real life but I thought it was intentional to help a wider variety of language speakers understand you. I'm an English speaker, but I always appreciated the effort that you put into your videos to articulate and speak clearly to be understood by all. Anyways, I just started noticing that and wondered why. I guess not everyone knows about the speed settings if they have a problem with how fast you or slow you speak. I think you're doing a great job just the way you are! Phenomenal job actually.💫
Thank you so much for your kind comment! Yes there are some people giving me comments about how slowly I speak, and that it annoys them😥 But as you completely understand for me, it’s so that non-native speakers can understand too, I always iimaginemy Japanese friends😊
@@LetsaskShogo I absolutely agree with Kenya Loves Japan! I noticed and was wondering about that message too, but please-please-don't worry. Shogo-san, thank you for putting in all your effort into your work out of consideration for us viewers! :) Some may not consider this, but your thoughtful approach to clarity really does help your non-native English speaker viewers so much. In fact, the same even goes for native speakers like me too! :) Personally, as a student studying Japanese too, it gives me the perspective of someone learning a new language and how it really can be difficult for me to understand fast speech right away likewise. It gives us all the time to better absorb and appreciate your work and explore these topics without the need to rush through. Thank you for the thoughtfulness and sincerity you put into your work! 👏👏
"One of the Patrician’s greatest contributions to the reliable operation of Ankh-Morpork had been, very early in his administration, the legalising of the ancient Guild of Thieves. Crime was always with us, he reasoned, and therefore, if you were going to have crime, it at least should be organised crime." - Terry Pratchett, _Guards! Guards!_
…. I feel bad that my major takeaway from this is that this makes “the way of the house husband” so much more interesting now with this cultural and historical context
Yeah, even before I kinda figured he was a househusband because not many people would want to hire an ex-yakuza, much less a fairly well-known ex-yakuza.
As someone from the west that played the Ryu ga Gotoku/ Yakuza video game series this video showcases how well researched these games were. Kiryu's story really is about the glory days and the downfall of the yakuza and how that can affect those caught in the yakuza, but also those associated with them. This channel is a gem and I hope Shogo keeps making videos for a long time.
It's interesting how Sega releases at same time a franchise that makes a positive agenda to the Yakuza lore, and also release the Initial D games, witch is the only media content that is allowed to promote street racing in Japanese public mountains. Sega is related to pachinkos, arcade scene... looks suspicious. The scort girls in Yakuza games based in real ones is a nice touch. Konami is another suspicious company. But that's another story.
I really like the Japanese Netflix movie based on Yakuza life called "A Family". It reveals their struggles with acceptance by society even by their own families because they are associated by such organization. It is hard for them to start a new life. This make me feel sad for them. I recommend this movie to Shogo. I think it is one of the more realistic interpretations of the Yakuza.
There was a reality TV show where ex-Yakuza opened up their own ramen shop to make a living, but I can't remember the name of the show. It seemed pretty interesting considering that any reformed Yakuza is an outcast in society. So they had to work at least twice as hard and have twice as much luck to make a go of things. Actually, I thought it would've been a great idea for an anime..
This man could read my notes from university and I would memorize them 30 times faster than just by reading them. Man has skills structuring and explaining a subject.
Very information video, thanks for it. About 20 years back I was taking the bullet train back to Tokyo from Osaka and about 50 tattooed and scarred folks in suits walked past on the platform. Everyone bowed as they passed, but I really didn't know what was going on. Turns out us two gaijin were the only ones stupid enough to get on the train. Nothing happened, and we had an entire train cabin to ourselves. My buddy at the time told me that they were Yakuza and that they were tolerated and respected because they pledge ultimate loyalty to the emperor.
Kinda feels like the Japanese government could find ways to utilize the former Yakuza to prevent normal citizens from becoming abusive towards other citizens. A wild predicament to be in.
well.... most politicians were sponsored by the yakuza back in the days. if they didn't do that we wouldn't know who would be controlling who today. Just like the *Cough perations in the US.
In the 1990's I trained at a boxing gym in "Mob neighborhood" in the Bronx N.Y. You could leave your keys in your ignition without fear that your car would get stolen.
The Yakuza games, especially 7 and Lost Judgement, covered this as well. You got rid of an "evil" that had a moral code. Least the good ones. And in exchange, you created a void that is filled with pure opportunist trash. The "mafia" of old became something new - the government.
From what some Japanese friends told me, Sega/RGG studios actually consult real Yakuza and supposedly they were even present in their parties, supposedly they even had cocaine and hostesses
I like how Shogo explains things, in a very clear, calm, informative but impersonal way, letting us gain our conclusion and only briefly mentioning his own and reporting the one from others. It should be the norm but it isn’t. And there’s such a vital point in this video, which as I live in Italy and we have Mafia here, understand a lot. If you eradicate a socially problematic group without also do something about what cause such group to rise in the first place, you just solved the situation momentarily. Eventual someone new will fill the gab left behind. Happened (and it’s still happening) in Italy, and as for I can get from this video, it’s happening in Japan too…
When I visited Japan, I was told that they operated out of office buildings and attempt legitimate business dealings. They shared that their criminal activity doesn't make them as much money as it used to. I'd notice tough looking people on the subways with business suits that other people generally stood apart from if they could. They'd have chains or tattoos. My sister who had a tattoo found it hard to get good employment due to the fact people also associated her tattoos with criminal activities.
At the yakuza Era, there was unwritten ethical norms among them and they all respect them. Nowadays, there are only plain criminals and nothing more. But, I couldn't agree more with you, Shogo. Poverty, disparity, and in many cases lack of future perspectives among the youths create crime.
This is interesting stuff- I think it's the first I've heard of a channel like this talking about more recent history in Japan, which really makes me want to know what happened to Japan after WW2...
As a person in Europe, a most interesting and useful production, thank you. It is valuable to see the suggestion that 'outside the law there can be order' and there is no difficultly in accepting this as it is wholly logical, the 'law' and 'order' are not synonymous. Again a very useful and balanced production, thank you.
***never said that it was good*** it just you known what the YAKUZA was all about, but from what this video is showing us that once the YAKUZA is gone the lack of order in crime made a lot of Japanese life Worst then when the YAKUZA were around and keep everything in Order.
@@anticapitalist-pig i would have orginized crime that keeps crime in the underworld in check a million times more than the gangs we have now where normal civilians and up in shoot outs and gang warfare.
@@joeribaars5481 all of this happened before, but corrupt politicians and journalists didn't bring light to it. Are you saying that bad things aren't bad when you don't see them?, are you past the age in which object permanence develops??
Despite the "Anti-gangster Law" causing issues, I think it's impressive that it succeeded in the intended goal. Italy wishes it could break the mafia like that.
@@OmarLivesUnderSpace The big mafia organizations are way too dangerous. They cripple Italian economy, and openly try to kill judges. Many smaller groups would be weaker than the existing large organizations.
@@Pokephosgene naah you have not experience hangure, they are creating more headache not to rich or powerful people like what yakuza has been, instead they targets weak ordinary people
@@OmarLivesUnderSpace In places like Sicily, the mafia is way too powerful for the government to do something about it. You'll hear arrests here and there, but they can't really touch the big ones
My dad told us about the effects of eliminating the Yakuza when we were in Japan before, and guess what he was right and what my dad says is happening in Japan in recent years.
I hear somewhere that If you care more about punishing crimes rather than preventing them from even happening, you care more about your revenge feeling rather then solving the problem. I think this applies very well to what happened there
i am no longer surprised by actions of governments and corporates that cause disasters anymore i think i would be more surprised if they actually start to help people
I honestly find the 暴力団排除条例 to be one of the most dehumanizing ordinances I've seen levied against criminals/former criminals, it _should_ always be noted that there are some truly abhorrent acts that individuals and groups under the Yakuza umbrella have committed, but when you punish people like that you just put them into a desperate situation which by and large will invite a greater propensity to commit crimes to get by, not to mention the power vacuum that is suddenly created in the process of crippling these organizations so swiftly. Makes me think of the rise in street gangs in the United States and the United Kingdom after the fall of organized crime syndicates such as the Mafias in Chicago and the various London Mobs, an issue not helped by the rise in social austerity put in place over the decades, and the clear favouritism of certain groups in society over others, whether that favouritism is economic or racial. It's a very difficult subject that requires a lot of nuance, I think - ultimately I would say _organized_ crime is the lesser of two evils, when that line between the criminal underworld and the civilian populace is clear and defined, rather than muddied and obscured like it is in many places today, leading to poorly structured gangs without any sense of definitive hierarchy or inter-gang communication, which in turn leads to a lot of violent crime being committed against just about anyone, be they involved in crime or no. When there's no, or very little attempt to solve the social or economic issues underlying all of this it doesn't fix anything, it just leads to a more tumultuous situation that becomes increasingly harder to solve, like putting a band-aid over a gunshot wound.
I appreciate that you don't modify the speed of your speech or of your video while you're talking. Instead you let us choose to speed up or not. Your enunciation is very much apreciated while speaking of such interesting things. I also like all the detials in your video production, like the background, clothing, subtitles with explainations and consistent style of the illustrative cartoons. You gained a subscriber
I've seen a few recent documentaries and interviews with ex and current Yakuza members regarding this situation, it's kinda sad to be honest, especially since they're nowhere near Triad/Euro/Nigerian/post-soviet/Cartel level in terms of harm done (or even literal evilness). Not that I believe in the romanticised view of the organisation or their eeee business niches, especially the forced prostitution part
The sad fact is, this illustrates how you need both law-enforcement and organized crime to keep criminals in check so they don't run rampant over ordinary people.
Same can't be said about Mexico though. The cartels definitely grew too powerful and there's nothing stopping them, except themselves by engaging against their rivals. Worst part is they drag civilians and kids into their organization if they want or not. The war between the cartels are at an all time high now and the government doesn't bat an eye on the situation. The only time both Government and organized crime worked together in that country is by abducting a bus filled with 43 students and executing them (2014 Iguala mass kidnapping)
@@TheTillmanSneakerReview In the case of the Italian mafia they also came at a time when the police were virtually useless and stepped up in a protective role of their communities. Similar to how police should be, but with more direct extortion.
Getting rid of the big fish completely would be ideal, the minor gangs can be handled by the law. When the big fish are gone a lot of these minor gangs wont have a client, some will get bigger yes, but not on the level that the big fish were
@@personalmusicarchive4459 yes they were yakuzas have always been loan sharks,established groups have a huge amount of money they can lend to practically anyone without any backround check (so a lot of times the people that loan the money wont even be able to pay it back),when money isnt coming back they gotta make money some way (there was a story somewhere about a very established doctor doing a lot of favors for the yakuzas and how some hospitals always had spare human organs) ,
I think the case of Junko Furuta would disapprove of the fact that this type of stuff never happened on their watch and her tormenters' connections with them caused her grief for those long 44 days. Seriously, while the Yazuka dissolution doesn't make crime go away they did have students like her killers in their ranks and they did abuse them to make people like her suffer. Also to this day they still are walking free and I wish I could find a mob of people to subject them to all the torture they put poor Junko through.
Rule #1: You can't extinguish crime, only manage it's effect on the society. Rule #2: The only thing that can keep a criminal in check, is a bigger criminal. Rule #3: Public image is important for gangs. If they are not disturbed, they don't want to draw attention. One example of the importance of Rule #3 (and an important lesson for anyone planning to start a major crime organization): Quebec biker wars, the death of Daniel Desrochers was the turning point. Up until then the majority of people didn't care about the criminal activities of the Hells Angels. Had they not started using bombs, and made sure they only kill their targets, their situation today would be different. Another example, this time in the other direction: Mexican drug wars, the increased action by the government against violence mostly within organized crime, turned into a quasi civil war that caused organized crime homicides to spike. I'm not saying that killing people is okay, but as long as they restrict such activities to people who willingly joined the underworld, and in turn the police turns a blind eye, it leads to a safer environment overall.
The whole point is that most ppl that join organized crime aren't ppl that do it willingly. They do it because society offers them no other options. As long as society ignores the poor, the orphans, those born at the margins of society and doesn't offer them alternatives there will always be criminal syndicates. Those at the top of such organisations are most of the time powerful ppl that use these less fortunate individuals for their benefit. Pretty much like the Japanese government did with the yakuza.
@@sevenchambers I can only answer properly after this weekend, but iirc "A Defense for organized Crime" by Buchanan should offer a fundamental explanation why organized crime is better than an anarchistic crime structure. I'm sure you could also find quite a few other papers supporting his arguments. As I said, I can only reply next week in full.
You can also remove the motivatiom for doing crime in the first place. This bigger fish idea is a mentality born of defeatism and half measure. If you're committed to leaving inequality and injustice you'll settle for a life fillex with criminals, but that's not because it's the only choice.
This has very quickly become one of my favorite youtube channels. Very objective, thorough and well made videos. My time when I was in Japan was very brief, but I just must commend you for making such detailed videos about many topics that go unaddressed and your perspective as a local, your way of life and upbringing is super insightful. I know I’ll find myself back in Japan someday whether it be for work or for pleasure, but I know that when I do, I’d like to meet you Shogo!
The points you made are very good ones but my favorite part was when you maid the point that when the yakuza where in power there was a clear line between good and evil that is a big point that people don’t really understand not only does this line show you who is doing the evil but this evil that we can see is going to contain the evil that we can’t see only criminals can keep other criminals in check we may have crack down on large organized crime syndicates but who is going to control the individual criminals who don’t have a higher evil to fear I believe it’s a very interesting subject to debate on
I’m a big fan of the Yakuza, or Like a Dagon, game series. This has actually been a constant thing in the series. As each game came out you can see the weakening of Yakuza in general and the rise of other groups wether it is “color gangs” made up of Japanese youth or foreign group such the Chinese triads and Korean mafia. In the most recent game while the various organized crime groups seem targeted and weakened the primary threat comes from a group of college students who are effectively thugs posing as political protesters. Something that was very familiar to us in America especially last year.
@@art3mis196 I consider it a worthy successor. It will be interesting to see how it is going forward. I would say it was at least as good as 3 which I consider the weakest of Kyru's story.
Thanks for the very informative video as always Shogo! I'm not an expert at all, but I think that this problem is really similar to something that we have here in Brazil. Some time ago several operations were made to dismantle druglords, which are our equivalent of Yakuza, but, as none measure to prevent criminal activities was made, it only created a vacuum of power for other types of criminals, as militias and such, which are even more organized and hard to take down. It really is a delicated topic and very difficult to deal it...
Brilliant video! When I was a university student I took several East Asian studies courses, one of which was urban development. The connection between organized crime and real-estate during the latter half of the 20th century was quite interesting. Love this content, keep it up! Cracking down, or removing, an entire class or organized crime (eg Yakuza & Mafia) can create new, and sometimes far worse, criminal enterprises. In America, from the 1970s-90s the Department of Justice nearly wiped out, or greatly reduced, the power and wealth of the Italian mafia. That in itself is not a bad thing; however, the power vacuum would be filled by brutal and detestable Russian and Eastern European crime syndicates. Not only are Eastern Europeans comfortable victimizing/murdering innocent civilians, but they also collaborate with hostile governments in espionage.
Yo, i dont even know how i got here... but i find your speech soothing... now i binge you at night and i dont understand a bit of it. Just keep talking.
I was not aware that they reached back to the Edo period. I thought they were a product post World War 2 rebuilding. Thank you Shogo once again you have enlightened me on a very interesting subject of Japanese history.
@@notinusesoon4975 Samurai Champloo was set completely in the Edo period. I sure don't remember seeing anything about Yakuza in that project. Aside from that I stick to space-themed and fantasy-themed like Macross Space Battleship Yamato Fairy Tail Pat labor Appleseed Akira Vampire Hunter d and Ghost in the Shell all of it.
I live in/am a citizen of Taiwan. We are perhaps more influenced by Japan than any other country (well Taiwan was a Japanese colony for fifty years....). We also have a big gangster problem but I believe like Japan the power of gangsters has fallen in the last few decades. I think it is a great thing even if it means those remaining ones are more desperate actually the overall crime level is falling. All countries will have some crime problem but really by world standards Japan and Taiwan are quite safe, crime free.... and getting better in this long term.
I can recommend the movie "A Family" on Netflix, it's about the Yakuza. I don't know how accurate and authentic that movie really is but it felt very down to earth. And it compares the Yakuza in the late 90s with the Yakuza now.
I've been fascinated by yakuza ever since I was introduced to a videogame Ryu Ga Gotoku (Yakuza in the west) on PS2 and playing almost all of the games in the series, and little by little finding out that those games don't stray too far from an accurate portrayal of Japanese organized crime scene. Their methods, conduct, ethics, history and tradition are the only ones that give them enough redeeming qualities that make them worth keeping around for a healthier society. It's a shame Japanese government is taking such short-sighted measures to stomp them out.
Oh right, Hangure Gangbangers are still a thing. In fact, more ornery ex-Yakuza are transitioning into those gangs as senior officers, right? Edit: quality has dropped in favor of quantity.
Hey I love your videos they’re very well put together, as someone who’s in the US whos always been interested in Japan, you make it really fun to learn more thank you for your hard work
I'm surprised there is no mention of the Burakumin here. In my time studying sociology in Japan, I found numerous testimonies of elderly describing the Yakuza as their only protection from criminals, but also their only protection from the (abuse of power of) police; the only way to force other japanese to pay them their salaries or provide them with the necessities of daily life, etc. By as least some of the burakumin I met, the anti-gang laws were seen as but a back-handed way to continue their discrimination.
It's interesting to watch this channel expand further and delve into more opinionated topics such as the impact of Yakuza in Japanese society. It will be interesting to come back to this video a week or two later to observe the debates that would spark because of this video.
I feel like the perfect example of the prime romanticized day's of the yakuza is the film Drunken Angel Beautifully portrayed the organized hierarchy of Japanese gang culture
Nono, Kurosawa wanted to show the brutality and terrible ways of the yakuza as they were and operated in real life quite the opposite of the romanticizing of Hollywood films of common criminals. Kurosawa hated the yakuza and with this film he plainly showed how they are to people. He wanted people to think and to change the society and make it better. He definitely was not glossing over the yakuza, he did not want people to respect them. He showed what violent and unethical lot they were, even their own members they fed with speeches of loyalty when they simply were expandables in their thug-wars with each other. The Boss wanted to use Matsunaga to be killed in their wars, a sacrifice he did not feel sorry for. No, yakuza had in mind power and money.
@@42kellys Ofcourse I know he didn't make the film to glorify the yakuza but what is portrayed in the film is considered romatisised NOWADAYS because during this time the yakuza followed guidelines and were seen as much more organized compared to the yakuza of the present
@@emperorhadrian6011 Exactly my point The Yakuza or what remains of their organizations are just a former shell and what these regulations have imposed has created a more divergent group of criminals with little to no code but that's not saying that the Yakuza of the past had better morals or that their code of honor is better than having no code at all either because they are just as ruthless as the thugs now The difference I'm trying to point out is how the yakuza of the past are romatisised due to how they would run their organizations
@@lucoolio The majority of organizations in the past had more solid codes of ethics than most nations modern militaries, not all members followed them and when they didn't they were taken care of. The problem is that there can be no hierarchy to keep the misbehavior at bay anymore so regardless of if an organization says they still have their code of ethics or not the ones misbehaving will not be stopped. And the Japanese government had used the yakuza for years, but then they spit on them when they were no-longer useful to them. Just like veterans such as myself. And in that I can't help but feel sympathy for them.
The same thing happened here with the Italian Mafia. The kept order in the underground markets but as soon as the were removed street gangs took there place. These street gangs are more violent and cause way more damage then the Mafia ever did. So basically the government made everything worse as it always does.
Actualy no, in Italy the sicilian mafia, was nearly defeated and After all the other mafias stoppped the massive killings and there were no new organization that rised (in Sicilia). In Calabria the Ndrangheta Is now One of the most Powerfull in the world but they don't kill (appened but Is pretty rare) and are more like a corporation that don't pay taxes of a traditional mafia. Even more After this war most of the mafias stoppped collecting the 'pizzo', the situation didn't degenerated.
I'm from Brazil (biggest Japanese immigrant colony) and had several Japanese colleagues in school. One of them was a cute petite girl with the Yamaguchi surname (she taught us how to use chopsticks in elementary school, since she used to bring obento to eat while we had some good old milk and chocolate and cheese sandwiches) ... I remember people talking about Yakuza and the Yamaguchi clan, but nobody talked to her about it (the fact that she had a younger and an older big mean faced brothers didn't help the case...)
focusing on the reasons WHY people go into crime, and helping recuperate them and the criminals, rather that only preventing and punishing the crime acts themselves, is a much more effective method in every place that focuses on that too
"You may have heard that once Japanese cars were popular around the world." Me as a Canadian who has owned 3 Toyotas, my wife owns a Toyota, my brother in law is on his second Toyota (also his second vehicle in his life), learned to drive standard in a Toyota, and many family members have or do own Toyotas. Also, when I was in Afghanistan, there were a lot of Toyota Hilux and Corollas. Sure... once wete popular. As for Yakuza, did not really change my view, but did give me more details. Knowing people in the legal system of Japan really ensured that I have little fantasy about it. I do often wonder if the one other customer in the tattoo parlor in Nagoya where I got my back tattoo was one though.
I have heard that the Yakuza also actively participate in helping their local communities? Like how they went out and help clean up after a major Earthquake and provided some funds? I don't know if this 100% true though
I don't know the exact facts but i think that is true. I've also read and heard from many sources that the Yakuza, with their struct code of honor and organization, aren't/weren't really the type of peeople who go against civillians in general and act more in the criminal world itself, and also that yakuza were originally not just thugs that struve for money, but outcasts tgat had no other chance. I am not sure how true this is though
Of course, but that's not charity. It's active investment in a)having people look the other way when they notice Yakuza activity and b)make it natural for people to rely on the Yakuza for help and thus become dependent on them. Get something free today, pay protection money tomorrow.
If I remember right, it was a PR thing, they pulled in people who owed them money and made them help clean up in exchange for a chunk of their debt being shaved off. Most organized criminal groups know that if you take care of the community, they are generally more willing to look the other way.
This sounds very much like the history of the Mafia in the USA, including the romanticization of crime organization and the rise of other crime organizations after the “old guard” was weakened. In the USA this was accomplished by the passing of RICO (Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization) laws, which sound similar to the laws you mention in Japan.
WOW, first time I've seen a creator taking into account their speed of presentation and recommending speeding up playback. It's been my favorite tool to watch videos like this I can get to so many more and still see them all the way through, thanks for making more people aware. Excellent video super interesting!
It's funny how movies and other media explain that directly outlawing the yakuza would just push crime underground which would be worse. Great video as always!
At the same time if you look at something like the film the gentle art of Japanese extortion or anything by Juzo Itami I feel very jaded about the whole thing since a yakuza group eventually killed him and slashed his face. It just freaks me out.
Wow this was a very orderly A-B-C presentation, with a nice review summary at the end. Fyi, I loved the movie Brother with Omar Epps which I think showed the development of the new outlaws but in the US (old school Yakuza is banished to US). Subscribed….
Japanese home seller: sign here that you're not Yakuza
Mexican cartel member: lol ok.
LMFAO
Triad member: lmao kk
"u can't be an outlaw if u are the law/government"- mexican cartel prob
American Crip: Is that a food cuz?
@@Israeli_Prince nah man they know what japan is. Some of the biggest shows WC and a few of them dudes did was in Japan. Same for many motorcycle gangs. Money coming from Japan since the 90s.
My grandfather was the pastor of a church in Okinawa and once, he was approached by a few members of a Yakuza group who wanted to use the church’s parking lot during what I think was some sort of festival parade (I don’t remember exactly, he’s been dead a few years). He agreed, and maybe a day or two after the parade, they came back and cleaned the parking lot. I always thought that was kind of a cool story.
Many people do not understand the role organize crime plays within a macro system. The best example I can give is from my country in Canada. It used to be Italian mob strike deals with bikers, bikers keep trashy punk gangs in order. They arrested a lot of bikers in the last 2 decades. The results has been street gang has been rising because there's no one to control them.
It's like nature, kill the predator, the prey will overpopulate and be a huge nuisance.
in a normal world, you wouldn't need crime groups to keep in check the small fishes
@@alihorda Maybe in an ideal world that would be the case.
@@alihorda The problem is, the state, through its agents, needs to do things within the limits of the law, which is extremely inneficient (not to mention the limited numbers of law agents that can't be everywhere). Crime groups have way less limitations. They are not shy about roughing up small fish punks and rule them through terror, that's why they are more efficient in keeping order. Just to be clear, I'm not advocating that the state police should act like them.
@Mr.Beant Gangs merely make purposeless people gravitate towards them. If you wipe out a gang and there are still potential gangsters in the area, they will soon gang up together and make a new one. Gangs are a source of crime, but they also are the consequence of something else. If one removes the gangs but that cause remains, new gangs will appear.
The purpose of organized crime is to make money. It's a business, and it's a business that is willing to use violence. They don't exist to eliminate punks. They will exploit anyone they can to make money, innocent or not.
I don't know if I can speak about Japan, but as an American who lives in a mafia influenced area I figured I could say something on this. I believe organized crime is the same all over the world though. The history of organized crime in North America isn't the different than the history of the Yakuza. The US government used to openly work together with the Italian mafia to attack American political enemies.
I feel as though, once the Yakuza are 'eliminated' smaller more violent gangs will begin to take over portions of neighborhoods in Japan. In the Western Countries like the United States, the Mafia took care of the gangs, and as the Mafia slowly died off, or evolved into 'legal' businesses, the violent street gangs took over.
I don't believe the Yakuza are actually 'disappearing' instead they've most likely found a way to make their business legal, and only resort to violence when it's needed. Good examples of this would be loan sharks, insurance agencies, and Casinos. All legal, and have the opportunity to make extreme cash income, as well as a cover for illegal activities they can plausibly deny.
Organizations like this only 'go away' in two ways, either they're killed off, or they go 100% legal.
Yep eventually this is what leads to cartels or more hidden gangs or worse yet totally random crime
And sanitation companies as well are a huge businesses for the mafia
yakuza are well connected to many political leaders and high level government employees
they are also involved in blackmailing
They're actually disappearing
Mostly are Old and new generation don't join Yakuza
I wouldn't romanticize the Mafia. They murdered plenty, shook companies down, and committed political crimes to their benefit. Kneecapped plenty of business owners who wouldn't pay them Mafia to "protect" themselves from... the Mafia. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre should say a lot about them.
"We must realize that mafia is a terribly serious phoenomenon, and that it must be fought not by claiming the heroism of defenseless citizens, but by involving the best forces of the institutions in the struggle"
-Giovanni Falcone, an italian judge killed by the mafia
@not tegaroh01 yet before he was killed he put in jail nearly all of the most important mafia chiefs in a great trial called "maxi-processo" and few monts after his death his murderers were imprisoned too
Understand that Falcone only said this after the Mafia in Sicily had an internal war where the money makers were killed and a bunch of poor greedy assholes took over.
Interesting. Seems like there was too much leniency with the mafia and they got too powerful. So you want to have them around, but only if the right people are in charge and only if they aren't too big powerful. Seems complicated.
@@mcfry13 It happens all the time where goverment officials cooperate with the mafia for the vvery fact that they are cooperativve,they make money,and they put other thugs in check and very usefull tools for making certain people dissapear ...
while it seems evil,for some areas its necessary evil,cauuse if not for them,a worse evil would appear
thats why certain cities make sure to keep certain boss heads happy and alive just for the fact that if someone else where to take their place,the entire city could burn
@not tegaroh01 never dare to laugh falcone and borsellino.
Be terrified yes, you should
Their decline and fading into obscurity may more likely be a facade to cover their evolution as a crime syndicate into more modern and "acceptable" forms. In my opinion these organizations don't die, they adapt.
Yeah, like many Mafia family in the US start to come out clean in the 80s-90s and control the Gambling industry in Vegas, some of them even still control some part of Hollywood industry. With their wealth power from their old dirty day, they can easily put that money into clean money by invest into some industry and then come out a legit job. I remember some book of old mafiaso said that they don't want to do the old way anymore since the Government and police forces is too strong now to do the old way with all the smuggling drugs and weapons, so they used their money that they made in the old day to invest into lucrative fields like casino and come out clean. The casino is like the heaven for them, they are cunning and brutal so they know how to deal with shitter and deceptive enough make the house always win.
This is very true. Another channel made by a guy named Yuki showcases how prevalent the yakuza are in some areas and if not yakuza, other gangs like hangure…a younger gang if you will but also very dangerous like yakuza except hangure will prey on just anybody which to some makes them worse.
@@raviolijesus6181 Yuki’s channel is great 😊
Its not like the government took their billions of dollars or their legitimate businesses.
Yeah like the Italian Mafia.
I'm not suggesting that I know much about Japanese society, but for what I know about crime around many western countries (law student here), trying to erradicate it is impossible. You can clean up the streets and make them safe for the common people, but criminal activity will still happen behind the scenes in different forms. Dishonest people will always adapt and find a way.
Sometimes when talking about policy you just gotta choose the lesser of two evils because striving for a perfect outcome might just make the situation even worse.
True, there will always be people who donn't care about the law. One theory I have to keep it at a minimum is to make sure people don't have a reason to resolve to crime, like for example keeping poverty at a minimum, but some people are just assholes.
@@Iyashikei-t4u I agree; if everyone had food to eat when they were hungry, clothes to keep them warm and a roof over their head to sleep, 'petty' crime would disappear overnight.
@@bhijdasasdjhasdbjkdasbjkfasbjk Although a portion of street crime does stem from poverty (stealing to feed your family for example) saying that ending poverty will stop street crime is a big oversimplification.
A lot of people don't engage in activities like pimping and drug dealing because they didn't have the opportunity to lead an honest life. Shogo gave the example himself in the video, those were university students running that prostitution ring, privileged individuals. They do it because of greed and a lack of morals. Some people just don't care about the law.
There is no magical solution for this type of issue.
The solution is to remove any reason any random person may have to engage in criminal activity, not to punish those who were forced into criminal activity. Easier said than done, however.
the best way to combat long term is to lessen the need for it. There will always be people who WANT to be criminals, its sexy, its "relatively" easy and to some people it i fun. but most people get started down a criminal path our of need due to poverty or lack of financial options. Strong social policies that improve the lives of citizens go a long way to lessen crime.
Clamping down on The Yakuza only after they are no longer economically useful, really demonstrates the dubious motivations of many so called "Get tough on crime" campaigns by governments. These campaigns are often more about saving face for the government. Rather than addressing the real causes of crime.
Yes, these governments break they own laws to get criminals. So now I ask who the real criminals?
how are criminals economically useful?
@@fbafoundationalbuck-broken6011 they have money goverments like money
@@mischief2344 and criminals break laws , government laws but they going pay taxes?
@@gjergjaurelius9798 We live in a society, batman
Had a friend whos dad was Yakuza. I asked how gangster he was and he laughed and said the most gangster thing their dad did was organize a neighborhood candy drive they did several times a year. He explained that the Yakuza was more social club then anything else and did more for their neighborhood keeping the really bad out and help where they could. It reminded me of how people talk about Free Masons, but the masons I know spend most their time setting up BBQs and Pancake fundraisers. The Reputation more so precedes groups then what the actual groups do.
Great example with the free masons
@Borsalino Kizaru that's not true at all my best friend was a 33rd degree Mason and showed me all the cool stuff. Obviously not the super secrets but enough
That dad is giving me huge way of the house husband vibes
i feel like this is strong revisionism to soften their image in the face of such dug in legally forceful opposition. he's leaving a lot out. and a lot of pinky bits.
@@moze801z2 if we're to believe your anecdotes, then maybe you should elaborate. Or are you afraid you'll get called out?
This is something I find so intriguing about the Yakuza specifically. Everyone acknowledges that it was organized crime, and that on the surface they were up to no good. But many who have actually studied about the Yakuza and their effects on Japanese Society also seem to lament the fact that Yakuza as they were in those days are now gone. Without the strict codes of the Yakuza to guide the now disorganized groups and the extremely heavy-handed approach the Japanese Government and others took to be rid of them, It has only lead to even worse groups coming in to replace them.
And unlike the Yakuza, These new criminals operate similarly to, for example, the Bloods and the Crips in the US, Where the lack of a hard code means anything and everything is fair game. [Side note here for anyone reading, Are the Bloods and Crips still actually like... around? Or have they broken up and turned into vaguely recognizable but much smaller gangs?]
Now clearly most people don't say "Japan needs the Yakuza's back" (Unless they understand nothing about current Japanese society), But I have heard a number of them calling for a relaxation of the Anti-Gangster Laws and a greater emphasis on societal reformation to allow former Yakuza to actually reform and prevent Ex-Yakuza from following the worse path they are now locked to.
As a person living in the US, the bloods and crips are still around and also smaller gangs have come up as well but many don’t have a “code” to go by. Even the bloods and crips don’t have a code either to go by anymore.
????
Are the bloods and Crips still around?? Y’all think that’s all we have in the USA?? Yea never heard of surenos and la Eme? Aka the Mexican mafia? They’re what keeps the Surenos nationwide in check. They also stopped the sureno gangs in Southern California to stop doing drive by’s. The sureno gangs pay a tax to la Eme too
Bloods and Crips are still around but they've become blurred as to what it means to be part of those organizations. For example, one set of Bloods may ally with another set of Crips against another set of Bloods. That's something that wouldn't happened 30 years ago when Bloods and Crips shot each other on sight. Gangs also don't rep colors anymore like they used to because it made them easily identifiable to law enforcement.
The two gangs are still here, it's just not as obvious who is who as it was in the 1990s.
People often confuse quiet with peace
Ya know I was just thinking how these gangstas nowadays aren't gangster because they don't live and die by a code. Honestly that might be more of society at large than outlaws or career criminals.
The fact that the laws make it near impossible for ex-memeber to have a normal life is a serious issue. There are many people who join gangs when they are young and stupid, but could be reintroduced into society. Its one thing to be hard on crime, but these anti-gangster laws seem to target the Yakuza culture specifically and doesn't do anything to stop actual crime.
Yes, there has to be a path of rehabilitation for former gangsters. If one can't open a bank account or get housing-it makes it tough to "go straight".
Most places don't want reform, they want repeat offenders so they can use them for cheap labour. That's how the prison system in the USA goes anyways. It's basically legal slavery, it's in their constitution lol. The general public already look down on criminals, so it's pretty easy for government or a private institution to take advantage of them. That's the consequence of everything going in the direction of making a profit first and foremost.
Yes he literally said that in the video.
All it does is force them back into crime 'cause they have no alternatives. Some former Yakuza have been forced into drug dealing because there's no other way for them to make ends meet.
Word 🤨✊🏽
"The mafia is over"!
- Simplistic: yay! Order and oeace for everyone!
- More complex:... who's in control now?
Mhm indeed
"Corrupted Nations who just want power...those are in control now
This is what happens when Kiryu-chan is not around to save the Tojo Clan anymore.
Kiryu Chan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kiryu we miss him
Kringe kuza
@@AeroMittens Like ur vids
@@AeroMittens nah bro check your content first
the interesting thing is this has happened before in america, specifically chicago and the mob. after the mob fell out of power due to politicians, violent crime rose dramatically as smaller street thugs ran rampant, and has remained so since.
Mob fell out because of drug dealing and informants. Politicians?
Love the lessons. Being taught Japanese history by someone of Japanese heritage makes it a lot more authentic.
Keep up the good work
Shogo-san you're gonna need personal protection or security after making this video lol 😂
No he's good he's got his katana
Homie Is a samurai I think he’s aight
Shogo-san is beyond reproach.
Shogo-san did not kill himself.
You saw how he wielded that katana??? Bro is fiiiiine 😂
I never get tired of this channel. It's nice learning about Japan like this. The mafia in Brazil is very different from this one. It's peculiar, really, how our cultures can be distant, but we have very similar problems.
In Brazil, mafia isn't exactly like Italy (however, Cosa Nostra have operations in Brazil. Yakuza, triads and bratva also have operations here). Most Brazilian criminal groups operates like Mexican cartels (at least in southern states).
@@MatheusKlSch you know what? It made me feel like studying about these organizations and cartels in Brazil. I know very little of such groups.
@@CasteloNegro cartel in brazil is a example if criminal organisation became to strong
We might be thousands of kilometers away, and have very different history
But in the end, we're all still human and very similar. You can also see that all our martial arts are similar, as are our songs and food 😃
As a Brazilian, I can confirm that things are wild here.
I noticed in the last couple of videos that I've checked out that there is a message at the top of the screen on how to adjust the speed.
Did someone actually complain about your videos? I know that you speak a little slower than you probably do in real life but I thought it was intentional to help a wider variety of language speakers understand you.
I'm an English speaker, but I always appreciated the effort that you put into your videos to articulate and speak clearly to be understood by all.
Anyways, I just started noticing that and wondered why. I guess not everyone knows about the speed settings if they have a problem with how fast you or slow you speak.
I think you're doing a great job just the way you are! Phenomenal job actually.💫
Thank you so much for your kind comment! Yes there are some people giving me comments about how slowly I speak, and that it annoys them😥
But as you completely understand for me, it’s so that non-native speakers can understand too, I always iimaginemy Japanese friends😊
I personally like your slightly slower speech because it lets me listen more easily even though I'm native english
@@LetsaskShogo I absolutely agree with Kenya Loves Japan! I noticed and was wondering about that message too, but please-please-don't worry. Shogo-san, thank you for putting in all your effort into your work out of consideration for us viewers! :) Some may not consider this, but your thoughtful approach to clarity really does help your non-native English speaker viewers so much. In fact, the same even goes for native speakers like me too! :) Personally, as a student studying Japanese too, it gives me the perspective of someone learning a new language and how it really can be difficult for me to understand fast speech right away likewise. It gives us all the time to better absorb and appreciate your work and explore these topics without the need to rush through. Thank you for the thoughtfulness and sincerity you put into your work! 👏👏
@@LetsaskShogo I never had problems with the speed of talking, instead i think its good because its easy to understand what you are saying.
I kinda like his speaking pace: it makes me hang onto every word.
"One of the Patrician’s greatest contributions to the reliable operation of Ankh-Morpork had been, very early in his administration, the legalising of the ancient Guild of Thieves. Crime was always with us, he reasoned, and therefore, if you were going to have crime, it at least should be organised crime." - Terry Pratchett, _Guards! Guards!_
…. I feel bad that my major takeaway from this is that this makes “the way of the house husband” so much more interesting now with this cultural and historical context
Yeah, even before I kinda figured he was a househusband because not many people would want to hire an ex-yakuza, much less a fairly well-known ex-yakuza.
As someone from the west that played the Ryu ga Gotoku/ Yakuza video game series this video showcases how well researched these games were. Kiryu's story really is about the glory days and the downfall of the yakuza and how that can affect those caught in the yakuza, but also those associated with them.
This channel is a gem and I hope Shogo keeps making videos for a long time.
Let's not go that far. The games are just games. They don't represent the actual stuff the yakuza were up to.
@@vicount3944 Go to Shinjuku in Tokyo at night, it's unbelievably realistic portrayed Japan in those games
@@vicount3944 Nobody said they did. But they touched upon a lot of real issues the Japanese society faces.
@@vicount3944 Yea, pretty sure no Yakuza ever fought two tigers to save their adoptive daughter in a replica castle
It's interesting how Sega releases at same time a franchise that makes a positive agenda to the Yakuza lore, and also release the Initial D games, witch is the only media content that is allowed to promote street racing in Japanese public mountains.
Sega is related to pachinkos, arcade scene... looks suspicious. The scort girls in Yakuza games based in real ones is a nice touch.
Konami is another suspicious company. But that's another story.
Organized crime never disappears, they invest in legitimate business, their sons run for political office.
JFK
I don't really have anything against him but that's exactly Trump, look up his family
@@russellnoe3054 I'm more worried about Joe and Hunter's relationship with Ukraine, honestly.
@@ForbiddenFish why?
I really like the Japanese Netflix movie based on Yakuza life called "A Family". It reveals their struggles with acceptance by society even by their own families because they are associated by such organization. It is hard for them to start a new life. This make me feel sad for them. I recommend this movie to Shogo. I think it is one of the more realistic interpretations of the Yakuza.
Thanks! I'll check it out.
Guess i’ll watch it
There was a reality TV show where ex-Yakuza opened up their own ramen shop to make a living, but I can't remember the name of the show. It seemed pretty interesting considering that any reformed Yakuza is an outcast in society. So they had to work at least twice as hard and have twice as much luck to make a go of things. Actually, I thought it would've been a great idea for an anime..
Added to my watch list
@@SpectreStatus That is one of those NHK World documentaries. I saw that one.
This man could read my notes from university and I would memorize them 30 times faster than just by reading them. Man has skills structuring and explaining a subject.
I love this channel. Every thing he says is in line with my experience with 7 years in Japan as a Gaijin.
Very information video, thanks for it.
About 20 years back I was taking the bullet train back to Tokyo from Osaka and about 50 tattooed and scarred folks in suits walked past on the platform. Everyone bowed as they passed, but I really didn't know what was going on. Turns out us two gaijin were the only ones stupid enough to get on the train. Nothing happened, and we had an entire train cabin to ourselves.
My buddy at the time told me that they were Yakuza and that they were tolerated and respected because they pledge ultimate loyalty to the emperor.
Kinda feels like the Japanese government could find ways to utilize the former Yakuza to prevent normal citizens from becoming abusive towards other citizens. A wild predicament to be in.
well.... most politicians were sponsored by the yakuza back in the days. if they didn't do that we wouldn't know who would be controlling who today. Just like the *Cough perations in the US.
What a surprise, a government rode out a powerful organization then pinned it on them when the good times were over
@@Pokemaster-wg9gx Yes indeed, the government should keep receiving bribes from powerful organisation. I wonder how that worked out for the US.
You just can't fight crimes with crimes.
Gangsters and Police have a lot more in common then anyone would like to admit.
In the 1990's I trained at a boxing gym in "Mob neighborhood" in the Bronx N.Y. You could leave your keys in your ignition without fear that your car would get stolen.
The Yakuza games, especially 7 and Lost Judgement, covered this as well.
You got rid of an "evil" that had a moral code. Least the good ones. And in exchange, you created a void that is filled with pure opportunist trash. The "mafia" of old became something new - the government.
From what some Japanese friends told me, Sega/RGG studios actually consult real Yakuza and supposedly they were even present in their parties, supposedly they even had cocaine and hostesses
I like how Shogo explains things, in a very clear, calm, informative but impersonal way, letting us gain our conclusion and only briefly mentioning his own and reporting the one from others.
It should be the norm but it isn’t.
And there’s such a vital point in this video, which as I live in Italy and we have Mafia here, understand a lot. If you eradicate a socially problematic group without also do something about what cause such group to rise in the first place, you just solved the situation momentarily. Eventual someone new will fill the gab left behind.
Happened (and it’s still happening) in Italy, and as for I can get from this video, it’s happening in Japan too…
When I visited Japan, I was told that they operated out of office buildings and attempt legitimate business dealings. They shared that their criminal activity doesn't make them as much money as it used to. I'd notice tough looking people on the subways with business suits that other people generally stood apart from if they could. They'd have chains or tattoos. My sister who had a tattoo found it hard to get good employment due to the fact people also associated her tattoos with criminal activities.
At the yakuza Era, there was unwritten ethical norms among them and they all respect them. Nowadays, there are only plain criminals and nothing more. But, I couldn't agree more with you, Shogo. Poverty, disparity, and in many cases lack of future perspectives among the youths create crime.
This is interesting stuff- I think it's the first I've heard of a channel like this talking about more recent history in Japan, which really makes me want to know what happened to Japan after WW2...
As a person in Europe, a most interesting and useful production, thank you. It is valuable to see the suggestion that 'outside the law there can be order' and there is no difficultly in accepting this as it is wholly logical, the 'law' and 'order' are not synonymous. Again a very useful and balanced production, thank you.
Let alone the stigma against tattoos "accidentally" hurts Ainu and Ryukyuan Japanese folk.
But that's (mostly) not due to Yakuza.
Are there any Ainu left?
@@neutronshiva2498 - yes.
@@neutronshiva2498 Hokkaido Ainu language is moribund but not yet extinct.
@@neutronshiva2498 yes
the old saying holds true: "better a devil you know then one you don't".
Can you get more dumb than "Organized crime is good, actually"? I don't think so
***never said that it was good***
it just you known what the YAKUZA was all about, but from what this video is showing us that once the YAKUZA is gone the lack of order in crime made a lot of Japanese life Worst then when the YAKUZA were around and keep everything in Order.
@@anticapitalist-pig i would have orginized crime that keeps crime in the underworld in check a million times more than the gangs we have now where normal civilians and up in shoot outs and gang warfare.
@@joeribaars5481 all of this happened before, but corrupt politicians and journalists didn't bring light to it.
Are you saying that bad things aren't bad when you don't see them?, are you past the age in which object permanence develops??
I feel like you missed a "than" in your statement
Despite the "Anti-gangster Law" causing issues, I think it's impressive that it succeeded in the intended goal. Italy wishes it could break the mafia like that.
@@OmarLivesUnderSpace The big mafia organizations are way too dangerous. They cripple Italian economy, and openly try to kill judges. Many smaller groups would be weaker than the existing large organizations.
@@Pokephosgene naah you have not experience hangure, they are creating more headache not to rich or powerful people like what yakuza has been, instead they targets weak ordinary people
@@OmarLivesUnderSpace In places like Sicily, the mafia is way too powerful for the government to do something about it. You'll hear arrests here and there, but they can't really touch the big ones
Wait ! ?Hold up!
Are you saying the Italian mafia is NOT the Italian government?
@@OmarLivesUnderSpace its not the same thing
My dad told us about the effects of eliminating the Yakuza when we were in Japan before, and guess what he was right and what my dad says is happening in Japan in recent years.
I hear somewhere that If you care more about punishing crimes rather than preventing them from even happening, you care more about your revenge feeling rather then solving the problem. I think this applies very well to what happened there
i am no longer surprised by actions of governments and corporates that cause disasters anymore
i think i would be more surprised if they actually start to help people
The movie "A Family" that came out recently sums this up pretty well.
And Yakuza like a dragon does as well kmao
Great film
Interesting, going to have to give that a watch.
Where can I watch it
I watched on Japanese Netflix I don't know if it's on other countries versions. I assume if you don't live here you can just use a VPN.
I honestly find the 暴力団排除条例 to be one of the most dehumanizing ordinances I've seen levied against criminals/former criminals, it _should_ always be noted that there are some truly abhorrent acts that individuals and groups under the Yakuza umbrella have committed, but when you punish people like that you just put them into a desperate situation which by and large will invite a greater propensity to commit crimes to get by, not to mention the power vacuum that is suddenly created in the process of crippling these organizations so swiftly.
Makes me think of the rise in street gangs in the United States and the United Kingdom after the fall of organized crime syndicates such as the Mafias in Chicago and the various London Mobs, an issue not helped by the rise in social austerity put in place over the decades, and the clear favouritism of certain groups in society over others, whether that favouritism is economic or racial.
It's a very difficult subject that requires a lot of nuance, I think - ultimately I would say _organized_ crime is the lesser of two evils, when that line between the criminal underworld and the civilian populace is clear and defined, rather than muddied and obscured like it is in many places today, leading to poorly structured gangs without any sense of definitive hierarchy or inter-gang communication, which in turn leads to a lot of violent crime being committed against just about anyone, be they involved in crime or no.
When there's no, or very little attempt to solve the social or economic issues underlying all of this it doesn't fix anything, it just leads to a more tumultuous situation that becomes increasingly harder to solve, like putting a band-aid over a gunshot wound.
I appreciate that you don't modify the speed of your speech or of your video while you're talking. Instead you let us choose to speed up or not. Your enunciation is very much apreciated while speaking of such interesting things. I also like all the detials in your video production, like the background, clothing, subtitles with explainations and consistent style of the illustrative cartoons. You gained a subscriber
I've seen a few recent documentaries and interviews with ex and current Yakuza members regarding this situation, it's kinda sad to be honest, especially since they're nowhere near Triad/Euro/Nigerian/post-soviet/Cartel level in terms of harm done (or even literal evilness). Not that I believe in the romanticised view of the organisation or their eeee business niches, especially the forced prostitution part
The sad fact is, this illustrates how you need both law-enforcement and organized crime to keep criminals in check so they don't run rampant over ordinary people.
A necessary evil, if you will.
More like a need for better law enforcement
Same can't be said about Mexico though. The cartels definitely grew too powerful and there's nothing stopping them, except themselves by engaging against their rivals. Worst part is they drag civilians and kids into their organization if they want or not.
The war between the cartels are at an all time high now and the government doesn't bat an eye on the situation.
The only time both Government and organized crime worked together in that country is by abducting a bus filled with 43 students and executing them (2014 Iguala mass kidnapping)
Depends here in italy the mafia is too strong in the south
Why? Why is organized crime needed to keep other criminals in check?
Why can't the law enforcement just keep them both in check?
There’s always going to be crime, you’re better off having criminals with some rules or a code, rather than warring factions with no scruples.
@@TheTillmanSneakerReview In the case of the Italian mafia they also came at a time when the police were virtually useless and stepped up in a protective role of their communities. Similar to how police should be, but with more direct extortion.
Weren’t the Yakuza involved in human trafficking at some point
Getting rid of the big fish completely would be ideal, the minor gangs can be handled by the law. When the big fish are gone a lot of these minor gangs wont have a client, some will get bigger yes, but not on the level that the big fish were
not in the near future with cameras and robots everywhere monitoring us
@@personalmusicarchive4459 yes they were
yakuzas have always been loan sharks,established groups have a huge amount of money they can lend to practically anyone without any backround check (so a lot of times the people that loan the money wont even be able to pay it back),when money isnt coming back they gotta make money some way (there was a story somewhere about a very established doctor doing a lot of favors for the yakuzas and how some hospitals always had spare human organs) ,
There’s an old sayin “Gangsters never die, they just get chubby!” Meaning they are now in the boardrooms and corporations. Allegedly 😏
I think the case of Junko Furuta would disapprove of the fact that this type of stuff never happened on their watch and her tormenters' connections with them caused her grief for those long 44 days. Seriously, while the Yazuka dissolution doesn't make crime go away they did have students like her killers in their ranks and they did abuse them to make people like her suffer. Also to this day they still are walking free and I wish I could find a mob of people to subject them to all the torture they put poor Junko through.
RUclips is really pushing your videos on my feed, glad it is tho, great video :)
Whenever you create a power vacuum in a hierarchical structure, a more insidious & violent element will creep in to grab the reigns and fill it up.
but it will be much easier for others to spot that and take them down of sorts.
@@TheManofthecross But they never get taken down, just look at Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, Congo, Afghanistan, Cartels in south America etc
@@TheManofthecross that’s what happened with Chicago with the Hispanic Mexican and Black gangs
@@sirgags2738 right but still they got to be removed those gangs.
Rule #1: You can't extinguish crime, only manage it's effect on the society.
Rule #2: The only thing that can keep a criminal in check, is a bigger criminal.
Rule #3: Public image is important for gangs. If they are not disturbed, they don't want to draw attention.
One example of the importance of Rule #3 (and an important lesson for anyone planning to start a major crime organization):
Quebec biker wars, the death of Daniel Desrochers was the turning point. Up until then the majority of people didn't care about the criminal activities of the Hells Angels. Had they not started using bombs, and made sure they only kill their targets, their situation today would be different.
Another example, this time in the other direction:
Mexican drug wars, the increased action by the government against violence mostly within organized crime, turned into a quasi civil war that caused organized crime homicides to spike.
I'm not saying that killing people is okay, but as long as they restrict such activities to people who willingly joined the underworld, and in turn the police turns a blind eye, it leads to a safer environment overall.
The whole point is that most ppl that join organized crime aren't ppl that do it willingly. They do it because society offers them no other options. As long as society ignores the poor, the orphans, those born at the margins of society and doesn't offer them alternatives there will always be criminal syndicates.
Those at the top of such organisations are most of the time powerful ppl that use these less fortunate individuals for their benefit. Pretty much like the Japanese government did with the yakuza.
Source?
@@sevenchambers I can only answer properly after this weekend, but iirc "A Defense for organized Crime" by Buchanan should offer a fundamental explanation why organized crime is better than an anarchistic crime structure.
I'm sure you could also find quite a few other papers supporting his arguments. As I said, I can only reply next week in full.
You can also remove the motivatiom for doing crime in the first place. This bigger fish idea is a mentality born of defeatism and half measure. If you're committed to leaving inequality and injustice you'll settle for a life fillex with criminals, but that's not because it's the only choice.
This has very quickly become one of my favorite youtube channels. Very objective, thorough and well made videos. My time when I was in Japan was very brief, but I just must commend you for making such detailed videos about many topics that go unaddressed and your perspective as a local, your way of life and upbringing is super insightful. I know I’ll find myself back in Japan someday whether it be for work or for pleasure, but I know that when I do, I’d like to meet you Shogo!
Your voice is so calming. I can listen to you talk about anything.
The points you made are very good ones but my favorite part was when you maid the point that when the yakuza where in power there was a clear line between good and evil that is a big point that people don’t really understand not only does this line show you who is doing the evil but this evil that we can see is going to contain the evil that we can’t see only criminals can keep other criminals in check we may have crack down on large organized crime syndicates but who is going to control the individual criminals who don’t have a higher evil to fear I believe it’s a very interesting subject to debate on
I’m a big fan of the Yakuza, or Like a Dagon, game series. This has actually been a constant thing in the series. As each game came out you can see the weakening of Yakuza in general and the rise of other groups wether it is “color gangs” made up of Japanese youth or foreign group such the Chinese triads and Korean mafia. In the most recent game while the various organized crime groups seem targeted and weakened the primary threat comes from a group of college students who are effectively thugs posing as political protesters. Something that was very familiar to us in America especially last year.
Me too :) except that new game isn't as good as the previous ones
Yep. That's 100% correct. As someone who played all games in the franchise I agree.
@@DaakkuuYRS cheers
@@art3mis196 I consider it a worthy successor. It will be interesting to see how it is going forward. I would say it was at least as good as 3 which I consider the weakest of Kyru's story.
@@C0ldIron fair enough :) I just didn't like the remastered games though, rest were cool, always fun to play
Thanks for the very informative video as always Shogo! I'm not an expert at all, but I think that this problem is really similar to something that we have here in Brazil. Some time ago several operations were made to dismantle druglords, which are our equivalent of Yakuza, but, as none measure to prevent criminal activities was made, it only created a vacuum of power for other types of criminals, as militias and such, which are even more organized and hard to take down. It really is a delicated topic and very difficult to deal it...
Wherever there is a power vacuum there is always some one that is going to fill it
Brilliant video! When I was a university student I took several East Asian studies courses, one of which was urban development. The connection between organized crime and real-estate during the latter half of the 20th century was quite interesting. Love this content, keep it up!
Cracking down, or removing, an entire class or organized crime (eg Yakuza & Mafia) can create new, and sometimes far worse, criminal enterprises. In America, from the 1970s-90s the Department of Justice nearly wiped out, or greatly reduced, the power and wealth of the Italian mafia. That in itself is not a bad thing; however, the power vacuum would be filled by brutal and detestable Russian and Eastern European crime syndicates. Not only are Eastern Europeans comfortable victimizing/murdering innocent civilians, but they also collaborate with hostile governments in espionage.
Yo, i dont even know how i got here... but i find your speech soothing... now i binge you at night and i dont understand a bit of it.
Just keep talking.
I was not aware that they reached back to the Edo period. I thought they were a product post World War 2 rebuilding. Thank you Shogo once again you have enlightened me on a very interesting subject of Japanese history.
watch anime sometimes
@@notinusesoon4975 Samurai Champloo was set completely in the Edo period. I sure don't remember seeing anything about Yakuza in that project. Aside from that I stick to space-themed and fantasy-themed like Macross Space Battleship Yamato Fairy Tail Pat labor Appleseed Akira Vampire Hunter d and Ghost in the Shell all of it.
@@fatzlebowski1549 there is. But, i can't remember what season and episodes. It's been awhile since I've watched it
@@cealy76 yeah there definitely was
@@beatnik6806 yeah. just looked it up, the episode is called Hellhounds for hire, there's several parts
I live in/am a citizen of Taiwan. We are perhaps more influenced by Japan than any other country (well Taiwan was a Japanese colony for fifty years....). We also have a big gangster problem but I believe like Japan the power of gangsters has fallen in the last few decades. I think it is a great thing even if it means those remaining ones are more desperate actually the overall crime level is falling. All countries will have some crime problem but really by world standards Japan and Taiwan are quite safe, crime free.... and getting better in this long term.
Very informative content. I have changed my opinion of Yakuza with this new understanding. Thank you.
This is very interesting. Thank you for the clarity on the subject. I look forward to your next productions.
I can recommend the movie "A Family" on Netflix, it's about the Yakuza. I don't know how accurate and authentic that movie really is but it felt very down to earth. And it compares the Yakuza in the late 90s with the Yakuza now.
I've been fascinated by yakuza ever since I was introduced to a videogame Ryu Ga Gotoku (Yakuza in the west) on PS2 and playing almost all of the games in the series, and little by little finding out that those games don't stray too far from an accurate portrayal of Japanese organized crime scene. Their methods, conduct, ethics, history and tradition are the only ones that give them enough redeeming qualities that make them worth keeping around for a healthier society. It's a shame Japanese government is taking such short-sighted measures to stomp them out.
Yazuka games glorify that lifestyle and isn’t real. Childish take.
@@sevenchambers you clearly haven't played them :)
@@sevenchambers it’s more or less exaggeration, not glorification
Deluded
@@sevenchambers ...
I'm learning more and more about Japan's. Culture, Do's & Dont's, Crime, Dress. Keep it coming Shogo-san. Arigatogozaimashita
Oh right, Hangure Gangbangers are still a thing. In fact, more ornery ex-Yakuza are transitioning into those gangs as senior officers, right?
Edit: quality has dropped in favor of quantity.
Hey I love your videos they’re very well put together, as someone who’s in the US whos always been interested in Japan, you make it really fun to learn more thank you for your hard work
I always wondered how Yakuza started 0:50 ..
Great video..
I'm surprised there is no mention of the Burakumin here. In my time studying sociology in Japan, I found numerous testimonies of elderly describing the Yakuza as their only protection from criminals, but also their only protection from the (abuse of power of) police; the only way to force other japanese to pay them their salaries or provide them with the necessities of daily life, etc. By as least some of the burakumin I met, the anti-gang laws were seen as but a back-handed way to continue their discrimination.
For me, my image about Yakuza will always be... **Clears throat** **inhales**
"Baka mitai kodomo na no ne, yume wo otte kidzutsuite~"
Shogo Lets make the Yakuza great again ! But for real your right brother , thank you for the video
Interesting video. :) I've learned a lot about Japan from you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. :)
The video game Lost Judgment shows a brilliant post Yakuza world and the chaos that has caused.
This is just the plot of the next yakuza game
100% correct, Shogo. Eliminate poverty, eliminate organised crime.
It's interesting to watch this channel expand further and delve into more opinionated topics such as the impact of Yakuza in Japanese society. It will be interesting to come back to this video a week or two later to observe the debates that would spark because of this video.
This video did help update my understanding on the Yakuza. Thanks, Shojo! 🙂
Such good videos... I feel like I could watch a 2 hour documentary and not be completely bored out of mind. Good job!
I feel like the perfect example of the prime romanticized day's of the yakuza is the film Drunken Angel Beautifully portrayed the organized hierarchy of Japanese gang culture
Nono, Kurosawa wanted to show the brutality and terrible ways of the yakuza as they were and operated in real life quite the opposite of the romanticizing of Hollywood films of common criminals. Kurosawa hated the yakuza and with this film he plainly showed how they are to people. He wanted people to think and to change the society and make it better. He definitely was not glossing over the yakuza, he did not want people to respect them. He showed what violent and unethical lot they were, even their own members they fed with speeches of loyalty when they simply were expandables in their thug-wars with each other. The Boss wanted to use Matsunaga to be killed in their wars, a sacrifice he did not feel sorry for. No, yakuza had in mind power and money.
@@42kellys Ofcourse I know he didn't make the film to glorify the yakuza but what is portrayed in the film is considered romatisised NOWADAYS because during this time the yakuza followed guidelines and were seen as much more organized compared to the yakuza of the present
@@lucoolio the yakuza of the present were forced into the way they are now because of the regulations.
@@emperorhadrian6011 Exactly my point The Yakuza or what remains of their organizations are just a former shell and what these regulations have imposed has created a more divergent group of criminals with little to no code but that's not saying that the Yakuza of the past had better morals or that their code of honor is better than having no code at all either because they are just as ruthless as the thugs now The difference I'm trying to point out is how the yakuza of the past are romatisised due to how they would run their organizations
@@lucoolio
The majority of organizations in the past had more solid codes of ethics than most nations modern militaries, not all members followed them and when they didn't they were taken care of. The problem is that there can be no hierarchy to keep the misbehavior at bay anymore so regardless of if an organization says they still have their code of ethics or not the ones misbehaving will not be stopped.
And the Japanese government had used the yakuza for years, but then they spit on them when they were no-longer useful to them. Just like veterans such as myself. And in that I can't help but feel sympathy for them.
The same thing happened here with the Italian Mafia. The kept order in the underground markets but as soon as the were removed street gangs took there place. These street gangs are more violent and cause way more damage then the Mafia ever did. So basically the government made everything worse as it always does.
Actualy no, in Italy the sicilian mafia, was nearly defeated and After all the other mafias stoppped the massive killings and there were no new organization that rised (in Sicilia). In Calabria the Ndrangheta Is now One of the most Powerfull in the world but they don't kill (appened but Is pretty rare) and are more like a corporation that don't pay taxes of a traditional mafia. Even more After this war most of the mafias stoppped collecting the 'pizzo', the situation didn't degenerated.
@@jacopofolin6400 that's not the story in Montreal after the Rizzutos got dismantled. It's been a free for all since 2012.
I'm from Brazil (biggest Japanese immigrant colony) and had several Japanese colleagues in school. One of them was a cute petite girl with the Yamaguchi surname (she taught us how to use chopsticks in elementary school, since she used to bring obento to eat while we had some good old milk and chocolate and cheese sandwiches) ... I remember people talking about Yakuza and the Yamaguchi clan, but nobody talked to her about it (the fact that she had a younger and an older big mean faced brothers didn't help the case...)
don't let em hate baby - I love your calm, steady pace of speaking!
I mean it's no surprise they lasted as long since japan moves both slow and fast. Its like what happened to the Mafia families here in America.
great comparison. it adds a great deal perspective.
In America, the "security fee" is called by another label. The American Mafia charges "protection fees"
focusing on the reasons WHY people go into crime, and helping recuperate them and the criminals, rather that only preventing and punishing the crime acts themselves, is a much more effective method in every place that focuses on that too
I imagine not forcing people to be social outcasts would probably go a long way.
"You may have heard that once Japanese cars were popular around the world."
Me as a Canadian who has owned 3 Toyotas, my wife owns a Toyota, my brother in law is on his second Toyota (also his second vehicle in his life), learned to drive standard in a Toyota, and many family members have or do own Toyotas. Also, when I was in Afghanistan, there were a lot of Toyota Hilux and Corollas. Sure... once wete popular.
As for Yakuza, did not really change my view, but did give me more details. Knowing people in the legal system of Japan really ensured that I have little fantasy about it. I do often wonder if the one other customer in the tattoo parlor in Nagoya where I got my back tattoo was one though.
Thank you for you’re commentary. I enjoy and looking forward to hear more
With my experience as a law enforcement officer in several US States, I find your thesis interesting regarding the Yakuza!
I have heard that the Yakuza also actively participate in helping their local communities? Like how they went out and help clean up after a major Earthquake and provided some funds? I don't know if this 100% true though
I don't know the exact facts but i think that is true. I've also read and heard from many sources that the Yakuza, with their struct code of honor and organization, aren't/weren't really the type of peeople who go against civillians in general and act more in the criminal world itself, and also that yakuza were originally not just thugs that struve for money, but outcasts tgat had no other chance. I am not sure how true this is though
Of course, but that's not charity. It's active investment in a)having people look the other way when they notice Yakuza activity and b)make it natural for people to rely on the Yakuza for help and thus become dependent on them. Get something free today, pay protection money tomorrow.
If I remember right, it was a PR thing, they pulled in people who owed them money and made them help clean up in exchange for a chunk of their debt being shaved off. Most organized criminal groups know that if you take care of the community, they are generally more willing to look the other way.
RGG Studio Yakuza Series brought me here when researching about it.
This sounds very much like the history of the Mafia in the USA, including the romanticization of crime organization and the rise of other crime organizations after the “old guard” was weakened. In the USA this was accomplished by the passing of RICO (Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization) laws, which sound similar to the laws you mention in Japan.
That was so educational, thanks man !
New subscriber from Algeria 🇩🇿
Excellent history and presentation of the Yakuza. Greatly appreciated.
I’ve always considered the Yakuza to be the Japanese version of the Mafia in my country.
they are, maybe a bit more polite but equally insidious. sad thing they're getting old, as most japan.
WOW, first time I've seen a creator taking into account their speed of presentation and recommending speeding up playback. It's been my favorite tool to watch videos like this I can get to so many more and still see them all the way through, thanks for making more people aware. Excellent video super interesting!
I've always imagined the Yakuza as the japanese version of "The Godfather", like guys in suits with tatoos and stuff
Notably, "the Godfather" is not a realistic picture of the Mob, but very much one like the Mob likes to see itself.
It's funny how movies and other media explain that directly outlawing the yakuza would just push crime underground which would be worse. Great video as always!
At the same time if you look at something like the film the gentle art of Japanese extortion or anything by Juzo Itami I feel very jaded about the whole thing since a yakuza group eventually killed him and slashed his face. It just freaks me out.
Gotta say this channel is awesome, super informative 👍
Wow this was a very orderly A-B-C presentation, with a nice review summary at the end. Fyi, I loved the movie Brother with Omar Epps which I think showed the development of the new outlaws but in the US (old school Yakuza is banished to US). Subscribed….